


A very friendly biological study

by Kanervakani



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Culture, Aliens, Cuddling, Fluff, Other, Pre-Relationship, Slight Unresolved Sexual Tension, Thats way too close to human biology but thats kinda the aesthetic of this universe shhh, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:11:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanervakani/pseuds/Kanervakani
Summary: While enjoying a movie together, Jalopeura finds themself more interested in getting to know some of the outward biology of Atlas. It’s way less dirty than it sounds, we’re talking about Jalopeura after all.





	A very friendly biological study

Long fingers caressed thick, muted wine skin slowly, ignoring the fast pace of the movie playing in the background. Resisting the urge to pinch and poke, test how much it stretched and the general durability, Jalopeura settled for soft touches, still intriqued by the light texture; almost as if there were scales under Atlases skin, somewhere deep in there.

They had kept their eyes on the brightly glowing screen the entire time, but they let their hand travel down the other aliens neck, feeling a shift in the scale-like texture; it almost felt more pronounced, as if Atlas had gone on goose bumps from the light touch. Jalopeura almost felt like it was contagious- their shoulders felt tingly and tense. Arm wrapped around the other alien- Atlas has been one of the fastest to get used to Jalopeuras need for physical affection and closeness that they inhabitet as a member of a species that traveled in packs before their planet had been lost. Yet today Jalopeura could feel the nervous shift Atlas made, almost as if trying to look up to Jalopeura. 

Feeling themself tense too, quickly looking down at Atlas. ” I apologize, your species has a very interesting skin, and I was interested in what’s under it, ” they whispered with a gentle tone. No more able to hide their curiosity, Atlas looked up at Jalopeura, with the kind of a suprised slow head turn Jalo had noticed happening more often lately.

” Oh, ” Atlas answered after a pause long enough to make Jalopeura nervous. They almost felt like they heard dissappointment, but couldn’t figure out why. ” Sor- ” they began to whisper, but shut their mouth at the quick answer from Atlas; ” no, no, it’s all ok. Do your thing, it’s not like I don’t like the attention. ” Atlas chuckled at the end skittishly, as if presenting an awkward joke. All Jalopeura did was stare at them and smile almost blankly.

Atlas knew that face. It didn’t need much figuring out to the people around Jalopeura that ever so often their mind was whisked away to form theories and questions, unable to keep track of anything else happening around. The smile was out of politeness; it didn’t reach their eyes, that stared as wide and as strikingly pale as always. 

Unable to help a smirk, Atlas turned their eyes back torwards the screen. A moment passed. Body fingers still stroked Atlases thick skin, often sending shivers down their neck. The sudden pinch on their side in turn made them flinch and almost jump. Like the silent moment in a horror movie before the loud noise or attack. ” Sorry, I- ” Jalo started again but Atlas interrupted them with a laugh again. It was impossible to keep the alien from wandering and wondering. ” I said it’s ok, do your thing. Im honored that youre so interested, ” they said, clumsily wrapping their own arm from behind the tall alien and closing them in a bit. They just couldn’t help it. They wanted to hold Jalopeura as Jalopeura wanted to stick their delicate little fingers every goddamn where and probably wished they had a dead member of Atlases species to dissect. At this point, after the month theyd been spending time together, it wasn’t as much of a turnoff anymore. More of a neutral fact that they undrestood and accepted but still worried them from time to time.

Jalopeura, as far as they knew, had a full accessability to prod now. They still tried to be gentle, but the way Atlases skin moved was strange. It was so strong it was hard to actually pinch, but when Jalopeura did, it stayed up for a moment similiarly to a dehydrated humans skin. The textured part was definetly seperate, Jalo could not feel it in the raised skin.

The curious scientist made test in a few places; the skin stayed just as thick everywhere, even thickening near the gruesome looking cut on Atlases head. Jalopeura knew from previous information that they usually had a raised forehead with layers of skin and a species-specific biological matter called portco. It was similiar to gristle, and grew in multiple places on a fontans body to toughen them up. The forehead in example. It was meant for headbutting; they were a competetive species by nature. 

” What does it mean when this part is removed? ” Jalopeura whispered into the others ear. Atlas tensed again, answering; ” that it got removed? I mean it’s not something we do, I lost it and my leg in a fight. ”  
Jalopeura, forgetting to concider that this might be a sore subject for them; was silent for a moment but then corrected Atlas; ” I understand, but biologically and culturally. Does it affect you in any other way than the scarring? Does it have cultural significance? ”

How was it that Atlas always knew in time that this was the theory Jalopeura had formed? And how was it that their theories were always right? They huffed silently, almost smiling. 

” Yes, usually. It’s childish play, but you use your head when fighting, ” they said, looking away. They were quiet for a second, then correcting; ” like, in a literal way, not metaphorically. ” 

Atlas felt a flush run through their body at Jalo giggling at their comment. As always it had that whispy tone Atlas had mistaken for flirting at first. It still made them feel a bubbling, joyful heat in their chest.

Atlas looked at the screen swiftly. Their blush was almost unnoticable, but Jalo always seemed to notice the most insignificant things.

” It has some slight connotations of weakness, ” they admitted, continuing: ” but its very old-timey thinking. Now that there are weapons, there isn’t as much of a significance. ” There were some ideals of attraction connected to it too; but Atlas wasn’t in the mood to admit to Jalo that the fontan looked terribly unnerving and mutalated to their own kind. Jalo should be able to decide if it was too much themself.

Atlas felt the other nod gently, and continue following the edges of the cut. It was a sensetive area, but not in the worst way possible- and with how Jalo was gliding their fingers alongside the edge, it felt quite pleasant. It took attention from the soft aching such a scar often left behind.

Jalo didn’t dare touch the odd geleton-like material though it looked very inviting. As far as they knew it had no feeling, but despite usually forgetting about these kinds of things, with what Atlas had said, it felt a bit too personal. Maybe some other day. 

Near the cut, Jalo found a set of small slits- Atlases eyes. They wouldn’t have looked like much to anyone too far away, but this close up Jalopeura could see the tiny black circles bulging in between the slits like a pinch of roe was stuffed in there. They knew Atlas, or fontans in general, didn’t have the best eyesight in the galaxy, it was on the par with humans, even slightly worse. They lacked in seeing color. Their world was blurry and lacked green and red. Where they lacked in sight, they expelled at hearing and scent, and what some people could have called an almost sixth-sense like intuition. 

Fingers slowly curling into knuckles, Jalo followed the carved bones of Atlases face. Down from the clearly damaged, dented parts near the cut, to something of a cheeckbone. The skin there was thick and Jalo clearly felt at least one layer of portco on top of the bone and a small layer of something- either fat or muscle. Jalo pondered that if the portcowas visible, you could have almost cut yourself on it- it was a suprise Atlas showed no signs of pain when Jalo pressed their skin into it. Must have been something to do with the extremely thick skin- or Jalopeura, as someone you could describe as soft and squishy feeling all around, was blowing it out of proportion.

Humming they continued their way down, feeling the spot where Atlases jawbone and upper skull met. Atlas moved their jaw a bit at the perfect time, and Jalo wandered at the feeling of the intense muscles clenching when Atlas closed their jaw. Jalo made a mental note to check how hard fontans could bite. Right now they were clearly clasping their teeth together roughly. 

Jalo continued in a verdical line to the aliens mouth, gliding their thumb over the suprisingly soft lower lip. The upper lip was almost like a beak closing over the teeth, but clearly moved up and down. With a bit of feeling, Jalo realized that it was a curved, shattered portco, completely seperate from the skull, covering thin muscles. The edges of the pieces felt odd; uneven, and riddled with strange bumbs. As they sometimes did; when Atlas sneered or lifted their upper lip, the muscles simply pulled the pieces up to reveal teeth. Jalo did this, slidding the lip piece up to reveal dark, double pointed teeth with a few long ones with only one point. They looked sharp and shined with saliva.

Atlas was clearly shifting at this and Jalopeura felt watched. They mumbled timidly; ” too much, sorry. ” 

The other didn’t have time to answer as Jalopeura already moved away from their lips. Down the chin and the jawbones, that had a very familiar structure. Jalo was suprised not to find any layers of portco on it; only the hard bone. Jalo wondered why the gristle was even needed with such bone, but decided that instead of interrupting Atlas again, they could look it up later.

Moving forward again, following the muscles of their neck- nothing too suprising there, but the plated-like formations on their collarbones were interesting. The portco was sharp and layered similiarly to their cheekbones. Under it the tense material continued onto Atlases broad chest. It was the first area where Jalo felt some softness too; Atlas otherwise felt very hard, but here Jalo detected something akin to fat. It felt warm and nice. For a moment Jalopeura was comcerned about how cold their hands must feel to Atlas- but they were distracted by the soft pertruding bit of armpit fat, and the connecting part of it against Atlases arm. 

Jalo could have almost jumped at the feeling of the stiff deltoid, the gorgeous curve and connection point to their pectoral muscle. Atlas was on the heavier, bulkier side of fontans, but kept a certain feline-like leanness in their posture. Fingers traveling to other connection points-and down the arm, to where they found more of those under the skin portco layers on Atlases elbow. This one though, clearly, it was in smaller pieces, giving much more freedom for movement instead of hardening the aliens arm into one position. It was similiar to their lips, but Jalopeura noted that the edges of the pieces felt different. These were smoother and the pieces had a more uniform size. Jalo furrowed their brows at this. ” Is your upper lip broken? ” 

Atlas smiled suprisingly bashfully. Usually they had more of an anxious look when talking about battle damage, but this was clearly different. ” Yeah. Normally its two continuous bands over your teeth, and its only possible to bare your teeth completely, ” they mumbled, showing what they explained with their mouth. Full set of terrifying dark teeth reflected the screens shine, until Atlas lowered their lip almost completely- only leaving a bit of it up as something that looked like a sneer. That dissappearred too. ” I guess it doesn’t look that special to someone with fully moving lips like you, but its a neat party trick to fontans, ” they muttered, leaning their head away. Jalopeura smiled wide. That meek look was adorable.

Jalo had heard of fontans with grown-together joint portco, that tightened the related extremity into one position. Atlases, to Jalo, felt quite healthy, and they found themself bending their arm up and down to test the elasticity. Atlas was well.

The gristle continued in a suprising way into the forearm; unlike in most of the areas, there wasn’t a clear noticable bump. they strengthened the skin in a straight line.

Now Atlases hand- Jalo already noticed their fingers twitching restlessly. Softly they curled theirs around Atlases testing the skin. It was rough, and the under skin texture was most promineng Jalo had felt this far. 

Five normal, short but thick fingers and a sixth one right under the long thumb. It almost looked like just a nail was poking from the skin, but it was clearly a sixth finger. It had the lenght of five centimeters, but the nail was still long, yet clearly trimmed by Atlas. Same went for all of their harrowingly sharp toned down purple nails. Jalopeura tested all of their little needle points, thinking of how useful they must be in everyday life. Atlas had no paint on them but clearly had a protective transparent nailpolish on them. The strong, thick nails snapping in half wasn’t clearly the problem, so Jalo deducted it must just have been a cosmetic choise to make sure the surface stayed smooth and pretty. 

Stretching the fingers in different directions; making sure not to hurt Atlas (not that their weak hands would have been able to do that) Jalopeura noted that they had a very average stretch, light stiffness.

Jalopeura rested Atlases hand on their own lap, as if for further inspection in the future, and moved back to their torso. The gristle like material was less common here; Jalopeura could only find lean muscle on other lean muscle, soft fat that made finding the connections difficult, but also made Atlas feel suprisingly soft and irrisistably touchable, and some knots of tension, that Jalopeura ended up rubbing gently for a bit whenever they passed them. It was the least they could do. Traveling down the aliens side, down to the external oblique to where Atlases hip bone started. It was in stark contrast to the slim waist; wider, and with a prominent adonises belt that Jalopeura could feel even through the thicker material of Atlases pants.

Something of a strange, unfamiliar feeling of heat suddenly made Jalos chest beat with a feathery burn. They had examined hundreds of bodies in their study, but suddenly doing this with Atlas felt oddly personal. The fact that it felt personal mad Jalopeura incredibly uncomfortable and suddenly, somewhat disrespectful. Atlas was expecting a level of professionalism from Jalopeura when it came to prodding their body all over! Somehow Jalo didn’t realize how incredibly silly that thought was. They didn’t realize that they were the one expecting professionalism from themself. 

Jalopeura swallowed dryly, afraid of making a scene, and accidentally did just that as they nervously grabbed onto Atlases thigh after skipping their hipbone. It wasn’t too rough but definetly made Atlas turn their eyes down to Jalos hand.

” Testing your reflexes, is all, ” Jalo studdered in a sudden flash of brilliance, though probably ruining the excuse with the shaky voice. Atlas had heard that voice enough times to turn their head away though, thinking Jalo was simply embarrassed about doinh such a thing. 

” You have fantastic reflexes, ” Jalo continued with a whisper after a short moment. Atlas simply nodded at this, with appareant knowing pride in their movement. 

A silent moment passed as Jalopeura wondered at how strong Atlases leg felt similiarly to their arms. The portco plating here too had small shattering, but these were clearly naturally seperate pieces. Their knee had a thick layer of it; but Jalopeura noted something new, as some of the plates were turned slightly outwards to form prominent curves that would feel unpleasant if they were to be knee-ed into someone. Jalopeura nodded as if admitting the usefulness. Fontans were known to use their legs to fight just as much as their arms.

Wanting to avoid an uncomfortable pose, Jalopeura looked down at Atlas. A second passed until the alien lifted the rest of their leg up and hooked it onto the ragged couches surface. Jalopeura smiled and moved too.

Atlas jumped a bit when one of Jalos long legs stretched over their lap and the other hooked from under the fontans liftef leg, pinning it in place. Atlas wondered how this was any more comfortable to Jalopeura as simply leaning down, but didn’t feel like asking or correcting them as they twister their upper body to lean onto Atlases shoulder. Did they have any bones in that body at all? Maybe they simply weren’t connected. Not that Atlas was complaining. Countary to that, they could have praised and prayed up to the heavens about the feeling of the others soft skin against them so tight.

Jalopeura raised their hands back up to study Atlases calf. The guinea pig moved it up and down as Jalo moved their thumbs on the back, almost as if giving them a massage on the way down. They stopped to feel the little nubs that started to protrude from half way the calf. Two of them were simply little skin nubs, but the third, the fourth and the fifth had dark nail growing out of them. These pointed upwards, but Atlas had clearly sanded them down to make sitting on knees and other such positions easier. The sixth was in a sharp condition and pointed down, but it was right on the achilles heel. It was intimitatingly long. It hooked like the other nails on Atlases feet. They were a slightly more raised version of a humans foot- of course ignoring the raptor-like claws at the end of their four toes. The sole of their foot was incredibly thick, clearly made for walking on anything- even the skin felt thicker. 

As Jalo was a second away from testing one of the hooked nails with their finger, a loud burst of music exploded from the tv to signify the end of the movie. It had been a loud, action packed movie in general, but the ten minutes before the ending texts had been quieter; quiet enough for Jalo to forget that the movie was playing.

They jumped a bit at the sound, looking up at the screen and then Atlas. They were already looking at Jalopeura.

” So, what did you think? ” they asked in a joking tone.

Jalo couldn’t help a smile spreading onto their lips. ” You’re truly magnificant and an utterly beautiful example of evolution, ” they said exitedly, leaning in closer.

The dumb smile dropped from Atlases face, being replaced by a dark blush. ” I meant the movie, ” they studdered, not knowing how to answer such sweet words.

” Oh! I wasn’t watching too close, ” Jalopeura said still smiling. ” I know, that was the jo- ” Atlas, still flushed and hot, made a little gesture with their hand looking away. They didn’t finish their sentence, nor did Jalo question it further. Instead they pulled their leg from under Atlases, and moved it next to the other on the fontans lap. They curled both of them to settle comfortably on the other and leaned into them gently. 

Atlas tightened their arm around them again, feeling the uneven breathing curiously. They should probably go get Jalopeura some water, but the way they were wrapped around Atlas- they didn’t have the heart to push Jalo off. Instead they leaned back, making a small gesture at the tv with their free hand, silencing the audio and leaving a staggering silence behind. The image was still showing names, but Atlas didn’t want to close it as it was the only light in the room. Or should they have? Jalopeura was still slightly playing with the skin of Atlases neck, but the movements felt slower. Maybe they would sleep soon. Atlas didn’t have anything against the idea of taking a nap. They quietly leaned back, twisting their neck to bury their cheeck into Jalopeuras neck. The other alien rested their chin onto Atlases head.

Hand massaging the others waist- Jalopeura felt so squishy, as if their bones gave way too. Atlas opened their mouth a bit, in curiosity- but closed it right away. From Jalopeura, the question about studying a body felt always do scientic and professional, but Atlas couldn’t think of a way to word asking to prod at Jalopeura in the same way, that didn’t sound like awkward flirting. As they were about to fall asleep, they decided to simply look up the biology of Jalopeuras species later- they weren’t much of a reader, but having them this close had Atlas admitting they were curious.


End file.
